There's more details on the page.Climbing permit & fee proposal
Mt. Hood National Forest is proposing to charge new and increased fees at 26 developed recreation sites. Included in the proposed changes will be a climbing permit for those traveling above 9,500 feet. Fee changes are being considered to allow the forest to continue to provide services, such as clean restrooms and trash collection, and to provide for the health and public safety expected by visitors at recreation sites. These fees will also be used for larger scale maintenance and improvement projects at sites where fees are collected.
Key Points
- Visitors to areas where the Forest is charging a fee will see increased visitor security, improved trail connections, degraded/inaccessible amenities such as picnic tables and fire rings will be repaired or replaced with accessible amenities, and many other improvements.
- Proposed fee prices are based on a market analysis of similar sorts of opportunities within Oregon and Washington.
- Most Forest sites do not require a fee.
- New day use fee sites will honor the NW Forest Pass as payment.
- Included in the proposed sites is a brand new rental yurt at Trillium Lake.
- Among other improvements, climbing permit fees will be used to provide daily patrol along the climbing route, improve climber education, support search and rescue, and reduce human impacts on the natural landscape
- The two-day climbing permit will only affect climbers above 9,500 ft., which is well above the ski areas and the Timberline Trail.
- The current climbing permit proposal does not include a limit on permits issued.
We want to hear from you!
- Some of the proposed fees would start in 2023, with others being implemented later. The climbing permit would be required starting January 2024.
We are now accepting feedback and comments on recreation proposed changes. Comment period ends Sept. 30, 2022.
Proposed changes include new, increased fees at recreation sites and for certain recreation activities. These changes will help improve and maintain recreation facilities, routes and help create new opportunities!
Provide your coments:
Email: [email protected]
Paper comment cards available at local Forest offices during open hours
Mail: Mt. Hood National Forest; Attn: Recreation Fees; 16400 Champion Way; Sandy, OR 97055
Public Meetings: A virtual public meeting will be held in early September. Watch this space for details!
My points are as follows:
1. The Pacific Northwest Region (R6) Resource Advisory Committee https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/r6/recreation/racs has not met since 2010!? Or at least no meeting notes since then. As of 2018 all board member spots were open: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r6/recre ... ev2_027001
If the Gifford and Mt. Hood National Forests are both doing this, a RAC has to approve the fees before it goes to the regional Forester for final approval. It's a bad look having this board supposedly meet and vote but we can't even see who is on this public, volunteer board. I've tried reaching out to FS personnel on this and received no replies to emails or voicemails and cannot seem to get a human on the phone at numbers provided.
2. Both National Forests do not suggest or even hint whatsoever that fees will not be implemented. At best they are enthusiastically letting the public know they are going through their legally required public comment period. Like the Central Cascades, even if there was 100% opposition in all comments, it would not appreciably change the FS's proposal.
3. The suggestion there will be increased visitor security is... truly laughable. Before the Circus trots out lines like these, it would be great to see their current data on security incidents and how this proposal will measurably address security.
4. "improved trail connectors"; is this some creative way for trying to say trail work but not actually doing trail work? For a public facing announcement, this is not common lexicon. Maybe junctions that are unsigned or with poor signage. But I don't think this is talking about that.
5. The "current" climbing permit is hugely crouched in language that it will roll to a limited quota in the future. Also it runs April through July, so expect an increased zoo like atmosphere artificially created for the month of March. And much consternation from the FS about the additional issues caused. There are no metrics provided by which the climbing permit will reduce human impacts on the natural landscape. As an example I've been to the Lewis River the last two weekends. Despite a robust ranger presence I still saw trash on the ground and TP in the ferns near the permit only parking trailhead. It's amazing a permit didn't stop that from happening. The FS keeps saying permits fix human impacts.
6. Charging fees for places like Keeps Mill is borderline criminal, I'd like to see proof they'd make it accessible. Security services there? seems the FS can't tolerate any rustic free First Come camping other than fully dispersed.